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ACST requirement enhances Expeditionary Airmen Concept

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Trish Freeland
  • Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Air Mobility Command's Expeditionary Airmen Concept is advancing a new destiny for tomorrow's Airmen today. Aerospace Expeditionary Force operations, developed in the late 90s, successfully supported our garrison force. However, the non-linear threat of the contingency environment puts our Airmen in the middle of a new fight that demands a new mind set to win the long war. As a result, Gen. Duncan McNabb, commander of AMC, has made Advanced Contingency Skills Training a mandatory requirement for all AMC Airmen deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan in non-flying or non-medical services billets.

The Expeditionary Airmen Concept is a long-term, transformational effort to advance the Airman's ability to survive and operate in any contingency. All Airmen must learn the combat skills to thrive in such environments while executing the mission. This training will be injected throughout an Airman's "life-cycle."

"It's a tiered approach to training," said Col. Jon Roop, chief of AMC's Expeditionary Combat Support Division. "It starts with basic military training. When recruits graduate from BMT, they're great Airmen but don't necessarily have that warrior ethos. Soon, we will add two weeks of training and give them a weapon on their second day of BMT. When they get to their first duty station, we give them 19 more hours of training in a base level course called Expeditionary Contingency Skills Training to enhance their development as warriors."

The 19 hours of base level training is mandatory for all deploying Airmen regardless of their destination. It consists of familiarization training to help Airmen of all ranks become comfortable handling a weapon, learn to operate while wearing individual body armor, and live in a combat environment.

This training is followed by the Advanced Contingency Skills Training course taught by the USAF Expeditionary Center at Fort Dix, N.J. ACST takes the 19-hours of home station training to a higher level by preparing the Airmen mentally and physically for a higher threat combat environment.

"If ECST is Expeditionary Airmen 101, then ACST is EA 201; akin to a bachelor's degree," said Colonel Roop. "They learn the basics of operating as an expeditionary team, clearing a building and moving in an urbanized area, convoy operations and combat first aid skills, among a host of other things."

Some of this training is a tough adjustment for older, seasoned Airmen who started their careers during the Cold War. Many of them fear the Air Force is assuming duties that should be performed by the Army. Part of the reason for this perception is the term "In lieu of" that is tacked onto a large number of the 179-day taskings Airmen are filling.

"When the combatant commander has a need that no particular service can fill, it's forwarded to the Joint Staff for a joint sourcing solution," Col. Roop said. "The Joint Staff looks at the capability requested and they query the services to see who might be able to fill the requirement. About 60 percent of these taskings are filled by the Army. The rest are filled by the Air Force and the Navy."

Joint sourcing solutions enable the combatant commander to acquire critical skill sets from any branch of service that can best support the request. It also helps ensure fair share among the services in bearing responsibility for executing the Global War on Terror. 

Airmen filling Joint Sourcing Solution taskings receive their advanced skills training from the US Army. However, many Airmen in traditional Air Fore roles are in the same higher threat locations. The ACST program closes the training gap. 

"There are all kinds of vignettes out there about the success of the training," Colonel Roop said. He pointed to people like Purple Heart recipient Staff Sgt. Kathryn Robinson, a Combat Camera videographer who was badly wounded when a sniper's bullet took off part of her right thumb. She knew exactly what to do to stop the bleeding and credits the advanced training she received at Ft. Dix. "That really is a great story, and it highlights the invaluable capability it gives our Airmen," said Colonel Roop.

The bottom line is the training is critical. Now that it's a mandatory part of deployment preparation, it needs the support of commanders and supervisors to be fully successful. 

"We're here to serve the needs of the President, Secretary of Defense and the Combatant Commander. It's our responsibility as commanders, supervisors, and leaders to ensure our people are properly prepared before they go into harm's way," said Colonel Roop. "The AMC Expeditionary Airmen Concept creates a combat-ready Airman today - empowered to execute the global mobility mission well into tomorrow."